Oropharyngeal carcinoma during pregnancy: clinical and psycho-oncological aspects

Cancer is uncommon in pregnancy, occurring in approximately one out of 1000 pregnancies, although it has been noted that one out of 118 women diagnosed with cancer is pregnant at the time of diagnosis. In the last 10 years, two oropharyngeal carcinomas, (1 squamous cell carcinoma and 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma) which developed during pregnancy, have been diagnosed and treated in our Department. No cases of oropharyngeal cancer, during pregnancy, have so far been reported in the literature with the exception of one case of oral cancer. This report focuses not only on the clinical history but also the management of oropharyngeal carcinoma during pregnancy, in terms of choice and timing of treatment. A scrupulous psycho-oncological analysis was also carried out in order to throw further light on psychological repercussions of head and neck cancer in the pregnant woman.